Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/237968
"Another threat is increased expectations from clients to get more for less. Companies like to do quality work, but are in business to make a profit and allow their employees to grow and prosper. VFX companies need to convince their clients that their work is valuable and worth what they need to charge to have a successful business and provide a living to highly-skilled specialists. The VFX work is often a crucial part of what makes the project financially viable, so companies should either share in that success or be properly compensated for it." OUTLOOK FOR 2014: "It's very bright, but companies have to stay ahead of the competition with talent, creative thinking and creative solutions. But there's no shortage of work. We're working on the new HBO show, The Leftovers, which will premier in June. HBO, Netflix, Amazon Prime all offer additional opportunities today: It's not just the networks anymore." RicK SandeR creative director Hoax Films culver city, ca www.hoaxfilms.com Founded in 2010 by executive producer Alexis Nelson and creative director Rick Sander, Hoax Films is a boutique digital studio that provides production, post and visual effects to commercial, branded content, features and broadcast clients. Credits include Katy Perry, Britney Spears and Willow Smith videos, and campaigns for The Smurfs, Game of Thrones, the Spike TV series Deadliest Warrior, NBC Universal, Guess, Absolut Vodka, Chiat Day, Lockheed Martin, SAG, Atlas Entertainment and MEBO International. STRenGTHS: "The number-one strength of the VFX industry is the resourcefulness and creativity of the industry's artists and producers. My job as a VFX supervisor is to guide our clients through the process so they can fully take advantage of everything we can do for them." WeaKneSSeS: "There will continue to be unrelenting pressure on studios to outsource work to places that offer temporary tax incentives. This lulls movie studios into the idea that they can get great work for free through deferred or recovered costs. No bueno." OPPORTUniTieS: "For smaller studios, the best work being done now is in television commercials and, increasingly, in Web content and, of course, video games. It's no coincidence that this work is difficult to cover under incentives." THReaTS: "The biggest threats to US VFX work are the unknown of incentives and perhaps our lack of a union. We are very vulnerable to the sort of cost pressures that union agreements protect against, which is a terrible position [to be in]. In post, a VFX company is a movie producer's best friend." OUTLOOK FOR 2014: "The resourcefulness we put into our work is being matched by a resourcefulness for finding new clients in new fields. For instance, we just won 13 Web awards for science and education — as well as our VFX and design work — for our client MEBO International. Over time, the bigger projects will start coming back to the US and our fantastic relationships with our clients will be at the center of our ability to deliver that work." Hoax Films has worked on campaigns for Chevy and The Smurfs. aLexei TyLevicH Founder & executive creative director Logan new york & Los angeles www.logan.tv Logan is an award-winning creative studio and production company specializing in groundbreaking content creation. Concepting, ideation, design, live-action production, 2D & 3D animation, VFX, editorial, and finishing all take place under one roof. Logan & Sons acts as the company's live-action division. Logan's recent credits include Lexus's Trace Your Road, 20th Century Fox's X-Men: Days of Future Past trailer, Lenovo's The Getaway, Toshiba's Kira and Mitsubishi's Road Trip. STRenGTHS: "There are more talented people working in the industry than ever before. The industry is constantly evolving and reaching new heights. There's more awareness and respect for the major role VFX plays in storytelling and in shaping so much of what audiences take for granted." WeaKneSSeS: "Lack of flexibility, resistance to change and slow continued on page 46 www.postmagazine.com Post • December 2013 35